


Christmas Heartbreak and Repair

by zaynmaylikme



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Holmes Chapel Christmas!AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:29:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zaynmaylikme/pseuds/zaynmaylikme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hello Harry.” Liam Payne says nervously and stands up.</p><p>“Oh.” Harry says in reply and fumbles with the pastry in his hand, almost dropping it. His mum hurriedly takes it from him and puts it on the kitchen table.</p><p>“Liam came home for Christmas!” Gemma says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Heartbreak and Repair

“No, no, Niall you can’t! Please don’t leave me. It’s Christmas eve.” Harry begs but he’s already out the door, regretful tears streaming down his face. Harry’s chest heaves as tears of his own escape.

Louis comes to his flat around lunchtime to check on him and arrives just in time to see Harry throw his lemon tart he was making for Christmas day across the kitchen as it burnt his hand.

“Harry.” Louis says sympathetically and holds his hand under the running faucet.

“I can’t believe he left me.” Harry says miserably. “Fucking arsehole, it’s Christmas eve!”

“I know, he’s an idiot.”

“Three years, Louis!” Harry almost shouts. “And he leaves like this! How am I supposed to tell mum tomorrow?”

“I don’t know.” Louis says and wraps Harry’s hand in a tea towel. “Just give it time; I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Harry nods.

“Now be a good chap and have a good Christmas.”

-

Harry wants to take Louis’ words into consideration but he bursts into tears on the car ride to Holmes Chapel and his eyes are red and swollen as he gets out of his car with a store bought lemon tart.

“Harry!” His mum says happily from the front door, she hugs him tightly and ushers him inside. “Where’s Niall?”

“He- He couldn’t make it.” Harry manages. His mums face falls a bit before she kisses his cheek.

“Are you okay love?”

“I’m alright.” He says and they leave it at that.

“Oh!” She says as if remembering something. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“Who?” Harry asks and walks into the living room. Sitting on his living room couch is a doe eyed boy he remembered very vividly from his childhood and teenage years. 

“Hello Harry.” Liam Payne says nervously and stands up.

“Oh.” Harry says in reply and fumbles with the pastry in his hand, almost dropping it. His mum hurriedly takes it from him and puts it on the kitchen table.

“Liam came home for Christmas!” Gemma says, turning away from her conversation with Liam’s sister.

“That’s- That’s great.” Harry says with wide eyes. He looks around helplessly for something to occupy himself with. Memories suddenly flood into his mind of kicking a football around his backyard with Liam and his fifteen year old self pressing his lips against Liam’s right before he left for America to pursue his professional football career.

Liam stares at Harry with a bright smile on his face and Harry can his heart hurting for many reasons. He hadn’t spoken to Liam for five years, far too heartbroken to stay in touch. 

“Lunch is ready!” His mum yells from the dining room, saving Harry from his misery. He stops standing awkwardly by the couch and speeds into the dining room.

Harry sits down and musters a smile at his family and the Payne family combined. They used to spend every Christmas around this table until Liam’s family went to America to see him every December.

Harry moves to the end of the table and his mum shuffles everyone around until Liam and Harry are seated next to each other.

“How have you been Harry?” Liam asks immediately once chatter picks up around them.

“Erm, good. I’ve been- I’ve been good. What have you been, uh, up to? In America?”

Liam’s face clouds over temporarily before flashing a brilliant smile.

“Not much really.” He says vaguely. “It’s been great though.”

“I bet.” 

“What about you?”

“What have I been doing?” Harry asks dumbly.

“Yeah.”

“Nothing. I have been doing absolutely nothing.” Harry says dully. “I’ve been at university and living in London with my boyfriend of three years who left me not twenty four hours ago while I’m sure you’ve had a fantastic time in America with your prospering career.”

“That doesn’t sound like nothing.” Liam says woundedly.

“Sorry.” Harry mutters. He reaches for the creamy potatoes by Liam’s hand and puts a large portion on his plate. “Sorry for saying all that. I don’t know, I’m a mess really.”

“Me too.” Liam says and takes the potatoes out of his hands. Harry has to supress the scoff climbing up his throat.

“And why’s that?”

“I’ve been dropped from the team.” Liam says in a hushed whisper. “I’m not going back to America. No one knows yet either.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry.” Harry says guiltily.

Liam shrugs.

“Do you want to get drunk?”

“Yes.”

-

After lunch Harry and Liam escape to the tree house in Harry’s backyard with multiple beers and shots of vodka. They sit close to each other, cramped in what they used to think was a spacious hide away.

“This tree house…” Liam says wistfully and looks around at the silly carvings on the walls and the worn Harry Potter poster.

“Yeah.” Harry says in response.

“We spent so much time in here.”

Harry nods and remembers the hours spent playing with Pokémon cards and reading comic books with Liam.

“So tell me what happened.” Liam says after a swig of his beer.

“With Niall?”

“If that’s your boyfriend’s name, then yes.”

“I don’t know. He just… left. He gave me my Christmas present then left.”

“That’s pretty harsh.”

“We’d been together three years and I guess things could have been better in the past few months but I never thought he’d leave. On Christmas Eve.” He adds bitterly.

“You deserve better than that.” Liam says. Harry decides not to decipher the look of longing in Liam’s eyes.

“What happened in America?”

“It’s pretty simple, really. I wasn’t a valuable player to the team anymore. I think I’m going to move back home.”

“Don’t stay here.” Harry groaned. “Move to London, or something.”

“London would be nice.” Liam laughs. Harry pours Liam another shot and they clink glasses.

“Why didn’t you talk to me after I left?” Liam says and Harry cringes. “I sent you messages and all that but you didn’t… You just ignored me.”

“I was angry, you twat, and upset that you left. I really liked you! Or don’t you remember when I kissed you goodbye.”

“I remember.” Liam said in a small voice.

“I really liked you.” Harry says again, mostly to himself.

“So do I.” Liam says. Harry locks eyes with him and suddenly heat is pouring out of him and he’s buzzing. Liam stares back and sets his beer down, ready for whatever is going to happen next.

Harry reaches forward and drags his thumb across Liam’s cheekbone; he spreads his hand over his cheek and pulls his face towards his.

A knock at the tree house door causes Liam to jump under Harry’s skin.

“Go away Gemma.” Harry barks and closes the distance between their lips. Liam responds fiercely and tangles his hand in Harry’s hair.

“Just like old times!” She shouts back.


End file.
